As Mr. Simon and I forgot about my troubles, only for a few minutes, the system turned itself back on.
"Congratulations to those still surviving. Phase three is a calamity event. Calamity events affect the entire planet, so in this case, the entirety of Earth 2038 will have the same event. Calamity events' occurrence depends on the planet. However, the only way a planet can be spared from a calamity event is if an extremely strong awakener volunteers to be a 'presenting calamity', which in return protects one's planet from calamities, yet has to be a calamity towards others."
[ Phase Three of Tutorial: The Koi and the Blue Heron
Classification: Calamity Event
Description: The Koi fish is descending! Yet, their other half is missing. The Koi, over the course of 48 hours, will approach humans and ask them if they know the identity of the Blue Heron. If the answer is wrong, avoidance, or silence, then the Koi will eliminate those in sight. The cycle repeats until someone gets the identity of the Blue Heron correct or until time runs out.
Time Duration: 2 Days
Consequence of incompletion: N/A
Reward: ???]
"Koi fish?" I thought back to the Limitless Train. It wouldn't be too strange for this bubble universe to have a koi fish with strong powers, enough to the point of being a calamity.
"Hm… how difficult. So, if we encounter this koi fish by accident, then we will be killed. But if we hide until time's up or get the identity correct, then we complete the phase." Mr. Simon bit his lips. "There's really a low chance of us getting the identity correct, or even defeating the koi fish. So… we need to find somewhere where the koi cannot find us."
"Won't that be hard?" I replied. "If the koi is the calamity, then there's a good chance it can find us, even if we are in hiding."
"You're right. Our best bet is to try to find the identity of the blue heron, but still have a good hiding spot… System Neo, how do we find the identity of the blue heron?"
"There are multiple ways, each one differing in skill and technique. You can try talking to the koi fish, or use a SP to understand him better."
"Yikes." I fidgeted with my water cup. "So at any given moment, the koi can just come and kill us or find us?"
"Correct, Lily Chang. The koi can visit one at any given time until time runs out."
"Ugh…"
Mr. Simon continued to bite his lips. "No dice, huh? Well… the best chance we have around is finding him…"
"Find who?"
"Ah, my student. I was thinking of trying to find him, and maybe the other students too." The heavy implication hung in the air: if there were any other students left alive.
I only sighed. "True, I guess that's a start. Yeah, we can go find your other student."
"Yes. Except that he doesn't have a mental SP ability that will help us find the blue heron's identity. His SP is more of a damage dealer. But, considering that SPs are probably rare right now, we should still go and find him."
Mr. Simon stood up to pack a few essential items, like water and food, into a bag. I wonder who this student could be? Mr. Simon is deliberately avoiding using his name around me… and typically, only 11th graders or 12th graders can take Mr. Simon's class of physics 1 or physics C. But I didn't see any juniors or seniors in the gym who took physics as one of their courses yesterday. I want to ask, but at the same time, I don't want to seem pushy.
"Let's head out," He flung the bag over his shoulder. "We'll head out to his host family's house, and if he's not there, then we can search the area for other survivors."
Should I ask?
Screw it! What's with the weird suspense? This is a life-threatening situation, and the koi could appear at any time! I'll ask!
"Hey… what's this student's name? Sorry for asking."
"..."
Shoot!
"His name is Xuan ZiChuang. He's a long-term exchange student at our high school."
Huh? ZiChuang? Where have I heard that name before…
The physics teacher noticed my confused expression, giving me a tight smile.
"Alright, if that's all the questions for now, we should quickly head out as soon as possible. Here, I'll drive us there."
"Ooo! I call shotgun!"
"Haha! Lily, you're the only one who can get shotgun."
"Oh shoot."
***
A drip formed on the once dry ground. In fact, it was larger than a singular drip. Forms of puddles and overflowing cusps of water flowed down the grayed, dull street. A figure appeared from the water.
He had bits of orange and white scales forming on his face, arms, and hands. An emotionless expression hung on his face. He tossed his multi-colored hair back, as more water formed around him. It seemed harmless, like a drizzle, until he opened his mouth.
"Do you know who the blue heron is? Where is the blue heron?"
The few people around him started to shriek, some staying still in the threat in front of them. Except the man didn't look like a threat. He genuinely seemed like an adult male, straight out of college, apart from the fish-like aspects he had to him. People bent their legs, hurriedly running away. Some people started listing out random names, in hopes of getting the identity right. And others just froze, as if stilled in time itself.
"No one knows? Fine." The water stilled beside him, growing in radius and size. It was as if the weather itself stopped.
The waterdrops expanded exponentially in size, growing out sharp spikes out of the thousands of drops he controlled. They shot into the people around him, mixing the red blood with the blue liquid. It was so fast, too fast.
"5,000 km^2. Done"
Everyone in a 5,000 km^2 flopped to the ground, instantly dying. That's around the size of Moscow, Russia. And it was too easy for the Koi to start all this destruction. Well… that is in fact the purpose of a calamity, to affect the planet it's targeting.
The figure walked forward into the large puddle, seemingly dropping into the water.
He disappeared. But only to find others to question, to ask.
***
"He's not here." Mr. Simon furrowed his sharp eyebrows. He knocked on the door, even harshly shaking the doorknob. Yet no one answered. "ZiChuang isn't here… but this is where he told me he'll be."
"Shoot, what do we do now?"
"... I still need to find him. But that's simply not feasible right now. We need to form a plan…"
"... How about we go to my house? I need to get some essentials from there, like new clothing that isn't dirty." I tugged on my school uniform, which was basically rusting with blood. "Since the calamity isn't around, we might be able to focus on getting resources. How does that sound?"
"Sure, not a bad plan. But it's strange how this event is somehow more peaceful yet more dangerous than the other ones, isn't it?"
"I agree. It's like the calm before the storm." It's weird how this is one of the most dangerous events, and yet we are driving normally to my house…
Whatever. I should be grateful for the short-term peace.
Right?
It was strange. The world outside was quiet — too quiet.
No screaming, no sirens, no chaos. Just the hum of the car engine and the occasional rustle of wind against the windows.
It didn't feel like a calamity. It felt like the calm before something enormous was brewing up in the skies.
We drove through the empty streets, passing abandoned cars and flickering streetlights. These cars and houses… most likely empty due to deaths in the first and second phases.
The sky above was a dull gray, heavy with clouds that looked ready to burst. Every puddle on the road made me flinch, half‑expecting a Koi to rise out of it.
But nothing happened. Just silence. A silence that felt borrowed on limited time.